Fire-escape.



R. JAFFIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION men r:a.21. 1914.

1,181,667. Patented May 2,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

R. JAFFIE.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. m4.

1 1 8 1,667 Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROBERT J'AFFIE, 0F WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed February 27, 1914. Serial No. 821,545.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT JAFFIE, a citizenof the United States, residing at \Vilkes-Barre, in the county ofLuzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire- Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fireescapes and resides in the provision of a novel form of fire escapewhich may be readily attached to the wall of a building adjacent to awindow and when not in use positioned within a casing whereby a neatappearance is provided and the escape may be readily positioned for useby a person from the window adjacent to which the fire escape isattached.

An important object of my invention is to provide a folding ladder whichis constructed in a novel manner in such a way that it may be readilydisposed in an out of the way position when not in use and is protectedagainst the elements by means of a casing.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a fire escape ofthe character described consisting of a folding ladder which is securedto a casing and constructed in such a way that it may be readily letdown into operative position or drawn up into folded position into thecasing by a person upon the upper floors of a house or building.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a foldingladder of the character described which is provided with novel meanswhereby the several sections of which the ladder is composed are limitedwith respect to their inward and outward movement with relation to thewall of a building thus preventing accidents and enabling a person todescend safely and exeditiously from a burning building.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a novelarrangement of pulleys operating in combination with a hoist cable thatis arranged in such a way that a person within a building may pull up orlet down the folding ladder from the window adjacent to which the fireescape is attached.

A still further important object of my invention is to provide a fireescape of the character described which is simple as to construction,capable of being readily attached, reliable and efficient in operation,and cheap to manufacture.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the followingspecification and then more particularly pointed out as claimed:

\Vith reference to the drawings, wherein I have illlustrated thepreferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, andthroughout the several views of which similar reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a top plan view showing myfire escape attached to the wall of a building, the casing for thefolding ladder open and the ladder removed, Fig. 2 is a side elevationshowing the casing attached to a wall and in closed position, Fig. 3 isa side elevation showing one side of the casing removed and the ladderin folded position, Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the ladder indown and operative position and the casing open, Fig. 5 is a detailfront elevation of the casing showing it in closed position, Fig. 6 is atop plan view showing the casing in detail and in closed position, andthe means for latching the casing in closed position, Fig. 7 is a detailside elevation of a portion of the ladder showing the means for limitingthe movement of the sections comprising a lad der relative to each otherwhen the ladder is in down position and ready for operation, and Fig. 8is a detail view of one of the pulleys on the rungs.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numerals 1 and2 designate sections of a casing, said sections consisting of the top,bottom, front and side walls of a casing and are hinged as at 3 toopposite sides of a base plate 4: which forms in combination with thesections 1 and 2 the rear wall of the casing. The base plate 4 carriesor has secured thereto in any suitable manner a plurality of laterallyand rearwardly extending securing bars 5 that are secured in anysuitable manner to the wall of a house or building to which the fireescape is to be attached. The bars 5 are secured in such a way that thecasing is disposed in spaced relation to the wall of a building. Thefire escape is preferably arranged upon the wall in a position where itmay be readily accessible from a window.

As a means for locking the sections 1 and 2 of the casing in closedposition I provide upon the section 1 preferably upon the top wallthereof, a hook (3 that is designed to cooperate with an eye 7 carriedupon the top wall of the section 2. Thedisposal of the hook and eye uponthe top wall of the sections 1 and 2 of the casing makes it possible fora person to readily lock or unlock the sections 1 and 2 from a windowand eliminate the necessity of the persons leaning out of the window aswould be the case should the hook and eye be positioned upon the side orbottom of the casing.

Mounted at one end upon the base plate 4 is a folding ladder designated8 as an entirety. A frame consisting of a pair of spaced longitudinalbars 9 and a cross bar 10 connecting the upper extremities of the spacedlongitudinal bars 9 is secured upon the outer face of the base plate 4.A rod 11 is inserted through the bars 9 adjacent the lower ends thereofand has pivoted thereon the first section of the plurality whichcomprise the folding ladder. The ends of this rod 11 extend beyond thebars 9 and are held against derangement by suitable means such as cotterpins.

The folding ladder 8 consists of a plurality of sections that arepivotally connected with each other. Each of the sections consist ofside bars 12 and 13 that are connected at their ends with rungs 14. Therungs 14 are common to each section with the exception of the topuppermost and lowermost rung. The bars 12 and 13 of every other one ofthe sections are mounted pivotally upon the rungs 14 interiorly and inengagement with the inner faces of the ends of the other sections. Thisconstruction permits compact folding of the ladder.

As a means for limiting the swinging movement of the sections relativeto each other, both inwardly and outwardly when the ladder is in downposition and ready for use, I provide upon the ends of the side bars 12and 13 of every other section, stop plates 15. The stop plates 15 aresecured at certain of their ends by suitable fastening means and extendangularly with relation to the bars 12 and 13 so as to engage the endsof the adjacent bars of the next adjacent section. The plates 15 at thelower end of the bars 12 and 13 of the lowermost section carrying theplates are positioned upon the inner faces of the bars 12 and 13 andextend angularly and inwardly and engage the inner faces of the ends ofthe bars of the next lowermost section. It will be readily seen that thestop plates 15 are upon the outer sides at the ends of the bars 12 and13 of every other section and upon the inner sides at the lower ends ofsaid bars that are equipped with the stop plates.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the stop plates 15 providespacing elements for retaining the bars 12 and 13 in spaced relationwhen the ladder is folded.

It will thus be seen that the lowermost of the sections of the ladder isprevented from inward movement with relation to the next section whilethe next section is prevented from moving outward with relation to thenext section, that is, the section above and so on. The ends of the bars12 and 13 are rounded so as to ride freely on the rungs 14 and not beinterfered with by the stop plates 15. As a means for folding the ladder8, I provide a hoist cable 16 that is secured at one end to thelowermost of the sections of the ladder 8 and intertwined among therungs 14. The arrangement of the cable is clearly shown in Fig. 4 in thedrawings. The cable is passed upwardly about the rungs and between theside bars of the ladder and is mounted upon a pulley 17 that is securedadjacent to the upper edge of the base plate 4 as clearly shown in Fig.4 in the drawings. This pulley 17 may be swiveled or otherwiseuniversally secured so as to permit operation thereof at differentangles. The free end of the cable 16 may be arranged within the casingwhen the ladder is drawn into folded position and when the ladder is indown position is positioned at a point whereby a person may readilygrasp the cable and pull the ladder to folded position.

Upon every other one of the rungs 14 adjacent the one end thereof butbetween the bars 11 and 12 I provide a pulley 18. These pulleys 18 arerotatably journaled upon the rungs. 14 and held against sliding movementthereon by set collars 19. A guide member 20 is secured upon the rungsand cooperate with the pulleys 18 to prevent accidental displacement ofthe casing.

It will be readily seen that when the cable 16 has a pull communicatedthereto the ladder 8 will be folded and lifted upwardly in foldedposition into close relation to the base plate 4. \Vhen the ladder 8 isin folded position as shown in Fig. 3 in the drawings the sections 1 and2 comprising portions of the casing are swung into closed position andlocked by the hook 6 and eye 7 and the ladder is held within the casing.

It will be readily seen that the ladder is protected against theelements and in being folded neatly within the casing presents a neatappearance and in no way mars the appearance of the building or house towhich the fire escape is attached. After the ladder has been drawn intofolded position, the cable 16 may be secured upon a suitable bracket 21.This bracket 21 is secured upon the upper portion of the base plate 4suitably adjacent to the pulley 17 and in such a way that free closingof the sections 1 and 2 is permitted.

It will be readily seen that I have provided a simple and reliable fireescape which is adapted to be let down into operative position in anexpeditious and reliable manner and may, when not in use be drawn intofolded and out of the Way position and locked within a casing so as tobe fully protected against the elements and present an ungainlyappearance when attached to the side wall of a house or buildingadjacent to the window thereof.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated inthe drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferredembodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that theconditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarilyvary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes indetails of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages ofmy invention, as set forth.

What is claimed is In a fire escape a folding ladder comprising aplurality of sections, each section including a pair of side bars, rungspivotally connecting the adjacent ends of the pairs of side bars, andstop plates secured to the terminals of the side bars for limiting theswinging movement of the side bars in one direction and constitutingspacing elements for retaining the side bars in spaced relation when thesections of the ladder are folded.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J AFF IE.

Witnesses MAX GoLDs'rEIN, HENRY S'roFFEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. c."

